God with Us through Suffering to Glory
Romans 8:17-39
Introduction: In our previous lesson [“Suffering, the Gospel’s Path to Glory”] we looked primarily at how suffering is embedded in the Gospel because the Gospel message is the message of the cross. In this lesson, our emphasis will not primarily be toward suffering, but toward God’s presence with us as he brings us through suffering to the hope of glory.
The principle is summarized in Hebrews 2:16-18
“For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Though our text will be the last half of Romans 8, the introduction to Romans 8 is found in Romans 5:1-5.
- Consider verse 2: “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
- Then verse 3: “Not only that, but we rejoice in sufferings…”
- Now compare 8:17: “…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
- Paul’s message: As Paul began to talk about why we rejoice in our suffering, and how that suffering produces in us “hope that does not put us to shame,” he deviates in chapters 5:6–8:17 to explain how “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (5:5-6).
- Finally, the emphasis leading up to 8:18 is that we have now been adopted as “sons,” that is, “children of God,” and since we are children we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Then, the qualifying statement is, “provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Please note the emphasis:
- Since we are children, we are heirs! That statement is intended to emphasize the assurance of our hope.
- “Provided we suffer” stresses that the suffering brings about our connection to Christ and creates within us a greater longing and hope.
- Breaking Down Paul’s Message
- Paul develops his message in four major steps divided by three phrases:
- Verse 23: “And not only…”
- Verse 26: “Likewise the Spirit…”
- Verse 28: “And we know…”
- Paul had said in 5:3, “…and not only that, we rejoice in sufferings knowing that suffering produces…” The reason we can rejoice is because of what we know that God is doing through these sufferings. When we see that sufferings produce hope and the ultimate glory, then we do not even bother weighing the sufferings against the “glory that is to be revealed to us.”
- Paul develops his message in four major steps divided by three phrases:
- Sufferings Are Not Worth Comparing with the Glory (18-25)
- Shockingly, the creation is entangled in suffering just as are the sons of God. Paul includes the “creation” in the “groaning” of the “bondage of corruption” that was created by sin. We may struggle to see how the creation being “subjected to futility” is tied to an “eagerly longing for the revealing of the sons of God,” but there is a clear connection to our “revealing” as sons of God and the creation being “set free from its bondage to corruption.”
- The connection between our “adoption as sons, the “redemption of our bodies” and the freedom of the creation from its corruption, must be tied to Hebrews 2:5, “It is not to angels that God subjected the world to come…” In fact, the Hebrew writer is discussing that exact same topic of how suffering brings God’s people to glory as we follow our “pioneer/trailblazer” to “glory and honor.”
- Therefore, (24-25) it is “in this hope that we are saved.” Though we are looking at the unseen, we are confident of what is the come, and that confident hope is what saves us. How so? Because it is such an amazing promise of God with the confidence that God “will not put us to shame” (5:5), it gives us strength to overcome any trial that comes our way. We keep that hope before us so that the present trial does not deter us from the goal.
- This is the reason for God’s constant assurance of our hope!
- Likewise the Spirit Helps… (26-27)
- God’s gift of the Spirit helps us in being patient through our suffering by interceding for us in prayer since the weakness of suffering is “not knowing what to pray for as we ought.”
- Trials/suffering causes us to become confused concerning what we truly need making it impossible to know what we should pray for. After all, if the trial is going to work to our benefit (God’s purpose and our goal), it is important to make good requests of God.
- The word “likewise” indicates that not only does our “hope” bring us to salvation, the Spirit aiding us in our weakness of prayer, is also a help in bringing us to our eternal goal and not letting suffering defeat us. In other words, the Spirit is there working for us in presenting to God our needs that are groans from our heart even though we are unable to verbalize those needs as we ought. That is certainly quite comforting!
- There is a question on whether “Spirit” should be capitalized. I would argue that when Paul says, “the Spirit himself intercedes,” he is talking about the Holy Spirit. The same phrase is used in verse 16, which is obviously referring to the Holy Spirit. However, in verse 27, the “mind of the Spirit” is more likely our “spirit,” not the Holy Spirit. God who searches the hearts knows what our mind is, which is the way the Spirit is able to intercede for us.
- “All Things Work Together…” (28-30)
- Our suffering should not demoralize us since God is working all these things together for our good, ultimately for our glorification (30).
- Verse 28 is often misrepresented to mean that all things in our life is good or works out for the good. Instead, God is taking all things that come our way, both good and bad, and using them for our good and for his glory.
“You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6–7) - To confirm this, notice that verses 29-30 begins with the explanatory word “for.” God foreknew us and predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son. Suffering is part of what brings us to that goal with the result of being justified and being glorified.
- Now let’s stop for a moment and assimilate what we have seen so far.
- First, salvation does not simply include “us,” but is a cosmic salvation of all creation. Just as we will become a new creation, so in conjunction with our transformation, the creation is going through the pains of childbirth, producing a new heavens and earth.
- Second, the hope of glory should be a motivation that creates in us a zealous and passionate service to God. We are “eagerly waiting” and “groaning inwardly” for that great day. In other words, our passion for glory should be so great that it dwarfs and present day pursuits. This lack of passion for the eternal in comparison with the passion for this life, is a major problem among Christians!
- The Conclusion (31-39)
- Finally (31-39), Paul offers a conclusion that summarizes the assurance of God’s promises that he will bring us to the glory of God (which is where he started in 5:2).
- Thus, Paul then summarizes the wonder of what God has done that should cause our excited pursuit of future glory without doubt, hesitation, or reservation. God wants us to see that our present-day idols are empty promises not worth pursuing, and our suffering is worth enduring!
- Therefore, notice Paul’s “quick hits”:
- 31: If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 32: If he did not spare his own Son, how will he not graciously give us all things?
- 33-34: Who can bring any charge [of condemnation] against us? God has justified us. Jesus has died, raised, and is presently interceding for us. What more could we ask!
- 35-39: Who or what power could separate us from the love of Christ? [Note comparison between verse 35 and 39]. The idea is, what makes us “more than conquerors?” It is this amazing love of God who didn’t even spare his own Son and is always with us and never leaves us so that we can endure through suffering to our ultimate glory!
Conclusion: Do you see how much God is for us? Have you grown up thinking that God is just waiting to find fault in you and condemn you? When we have seen all that he has done, our conclusion should be that Hell is hardly a motivation that has any comparison to the glory God desires for us.
Berry Kercheville
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